Debugging symbols allow you to debug your application better. They are added to your binary by the compiler. For KDE, you have to decide during the cmake step if you want debugging symbols or not. To compile your application with debugging symbols, use

Debugging symbols allow you to debug your application better. They are added to your binary by the compiler. For KDE, you have to decide during the cmake step if you want debugging symbols or not. To compile your application with debugging symbols, use

−

cmake . -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=debugfull

+

<pre>

+

cmake . -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=debugfull

+

</pre>

to compile it without debugging symbols, use

to compile it without debugging symbols, use

−

cmake . -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=release

+

<pre>

+

cmake . -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=release

+

</pre>

Depending on your decision, output generated with the command kDebug will also be (debugfull) or not be (release) added to your application.

Depending on your decision, output generated with the command kDebug will also be (debugfull) or not be (release) added to your application.

−

= Example app =

+

== Example app ==

As an example, let's write an application that crashes:

As an example, let's write an application that crashes:

'''main.cpp'''

'''main.cpp'''

−

+

<syntaxhighlight lang="cpp-qt">

−

<pre>

+

#include <KApplication>

#include <KApplication>

#include <KAboutData>

#include <KAboutData>

Line 40:

Line 43:

return 0;

return 0;

}

}

−

</pre>

+

</syntaxhighlight>

+

'''CMakeLists.txt'''

'''CMakeLists.txt'''

<pre>

<pre>

Line 53:

Line 57:

</pre>

</pre>

Now let's compile this without debugging symbols:

Now let's compile this without debugging symbols:

−

cmake . -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=release && make

+

<pre>

+

cmake . -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=release && make

+

</pre>

We see that the resulting file is small:

We see that the resulting file is small:

−

# ls -lh tutorial1

+

<pre>

−

-rwxr-xr-x 1 user user 15K Jul 11 18:07 tutorial1

+

# ls -lh tutorial1

+

-rwxr-xr-x 1 user user 15K Jul 11 18:07 tutorial1

+

</pre>

With debugging symbols, the file is bigger:

With debugging symbols, the file is bigger:

−

cmake . -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=debugfull && make

+

<pre>

−

# ls -lh tutorial1

+

cmake . -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=debugfull && make

−

-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 250K Jul 11 18:09 tutorial1

+

# ls -lh tutorial1

+

-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 250K Jul 11 18:09 tutorial1

+

</pre>

−

= Backtraces =

+

== Backtraces ==

Now let's start the application and look at the backtrace:

Now let's start the application and look at the backtrace:

−

cmake . -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=release && make -j4

+

<pre>

+

cmake . -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=release && make

+

</pre>

Gives you the backtrace

Gives you the backtrace

−

Application: Tutorial 1 (tutorial1), signal SIGSEGV

+

<pre>

−

�[?1034h[Thread debugging using libthread_db enabled]

+

Application: Tutorial 1 (tutorial1), signal SIGSEGV

−

0x00007f58abba4cb0 in nanosleep () from /lib64/libc.so.6

+

�[?1034h[Thread debugging using libthread_db enabled]

−

[Current thread is 1 (Thread 0x7f58b0cfd750 (LWP 21264))]

+

0x00007f58abba4cb0 in nanosleep () from /lib64/libc.so.6

−

+

[Current thread is 1 (Thread 0x7f58b0cfd750 (LWP 21264))]

−

Thread 1 (Thread 0x7f58b0cfd750 (LWP 21264)):

+

−

[KCrash Handler]

+

Thread 1 (Thread 0x7f58b0cfd750 (LWP 21264)):

−

'''#5 0x00000000004016aa in main ()'''

+

[KCrash Handler]

+

'''#5 0x00000000004016aa in main ()'''

+

</pre>

The debugging build

The debugging build

−

cmake . -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=debugfull && make -j4

+

<pre>

+

cmake . -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=debugfull && make

+

</pre>

Gives you the backtrace

Gives you the backtrace

−

Application: Tutorial 1 (tutorial1), signal SIGSEGV

+

<pre>

−

�[?1034h[Thread debugging using libthread_db enabled]

+

Application: Tutorial 1 (tutorial1), signal SIGSEGV

−

0x00007fd0b8161cb0 in nanosleep () from /lib64/libc.so.6

+

�[?1034h[Thread debugging using libthread_db enabled]

−

[Current thread is 1 (Thread 0x7fd0bd2ba750 (LWP 21327))]

+

0x00007fd0b8161cb0 in nanosleep () from /lib64/libc.so.6

−

+

[Current thread is 1 (Thread 0x7fd0bd2ba750 (LWP 21327))]

−

Thread 1 (Thread 0x7fd0bd2ba750 (LWP 21327)):

+

−

[KCrash Handler]

+

Thread 1 (Thread 0x7fd0bd2ba750 (LWP 21327)):

−

'''#5 0x0000000000401625 in main (argc=1, argv=0x7fffc52f5138) at /root/kdehello/main.cpp:25'''

+

[KCrash Handler]

+

'''#5 0x0000000000401625 in main (argc=1, argv=0x7fffc52f5138) at /root/kdehello/main.cpp:25'''

+

</pre>

So you see: with debugging symbols, you see the line number where the crash occurred. Without, you do not see this.

So you see: with debugging symbols, you see the line number where the crash occurred. Without, you do not see this.

−

= Where are they? =

+

== Where are they? ==

Where are the debugging symbols stored? Use objdump -g to find out:

Where are the debugging symbols stored? Use objdump -g to find out:

−

# objdump -g tutorial1-release | wc -l

+

<pre>

−

511

+

# objdump -g tutorial1-release | wc -l

−

# objdump -g tutorial1-debugfull | wc -l

+

511

−

40943

+

# objdump -g tutorial1-debugfull | wc -l

+

40943

+

</pre>

It is important to know that the code lines (in assembler) to be executed actually do not differ a lot. We see this when disassembling the code:

It is important to know that the code lines (in assembler) to be executed actually do not differ a lot. We see this when disassembling the code:

−

# objdump -d tutorial1-debugfull | wc -l

+

<pre>

−

658

+

# objdump -d tutorial1-debugfull | wc -l

−

# objdump -d tutorial1-release | wc -l

+

658

−

697

+

# objdump -d tutorial1-release | wc -l

+

697

+

</pre>

This gives us hope that there will be no major speed difference between a debug- and a release-version of a binary.

This gives us hope that there will be no major speed difference between a debug- and a release-version of a binary.

−

= Speed implications =

+

== Speed implications ==

We remove the lines that cause the crash and the messagebox. Then we execute the program 100 times:

We remove the lines that cause the crash and the messagebox. Then we execute the program 100 times:

−

cmake . -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=debugfull && make -j4

+

<pre>

−

time for i in $(seq 1 1 100); do ./tutorial1; done

+

cmake . -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=debugfull && make -j4

+

time for i in $(seq 1 1 100); do ./tutorial1; done

−

real 0m6.201s

+

real 0m6.201s

−

user 0m4.368s

+

user 0m4.368s

−

sys 0m1.320s

+

sys 0m1.320s

+

</pre>

Lasts 6 seconds. Now with the release version:

Lasts 6 seconds. Now with the release version:

−

cmake . -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=release && make -j4

+

<pre>

−

time for i in $(seq 1 1 100); do ./tutorial1; done

+

cmake . -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=release && make -j4

+

time for i in $(seq 1 1 100); do ./tutorial1; done

−

real 0m6.259s

+

real 0m6.259s

−

user 0m4.368s

+

user 0m4.368s

−

sys 0m1.328s

+

sys 0m1.328s

+

</pre>

Also lasts 6 seconds. So the main difference is in the binaries size.

Also lasts 6 seconds. So the main difference is in the binaries size.

−

= And make? =

+

== And make? ==

−

How does cmake propagate to make if a debug version is wanted? Do a

+

How does cmake propagate to make if a debug version is wanted? Do a

−

cmake . -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=debugfull && make VERBOSE=1

+

<pre>

+

cmake . -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=debugfull && make VERBOSE=1

+

</pre>

You will find a difference during the link step. The parameters

You will find a difference during the link step. The parameters

−

-DNDEBUG -DQT_NO_DEBUG

+

<pre>

−

are unique for the release-version. There are further differences like the O2 optimization.

+

-DNDEBUG -DQT_NO_DEBUG

+

</pre>

+

are unique for the release-version. There are further differences like the <tt>O2</tt> optimization.

Latest revision as of 15:51, 27 June 2011

Contents

Debugging symbols allow you to debug your application better. They are added to your binary by the compiler. For KDE, you have to decide during the cmake step if you want debugging symbols or not. To compile your application with debugging symbols, use

cmake . -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=debugfull

to compile it without debugging symbols, use

cmake . -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=release

Depending on your decision, output generated with the command kDebug will also be (debugfull) or not be (release) added to your application.